Only good actors survive in long run: Amrita
From Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—In a scene filled with ‘glam dolls’, who see skin show as a means to establish a niche for themselves in the film industry, this pretty actress, with a “typical girl-next-door” image, stands out for charting a course different from her contemporaries in Bollywood. Amrita Rao, who has, in the last few years, attracted the notice of cinegoers with her girl-next-door portrayals in ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’, ‘Ishq Vishq’ and ‘Deewar’, seems a complete antithesis of the modern “glam doll brigade” (Mallika Sherawat, Neha Dhupia, Meghna Naidu et al) who believe in the dictum that “only sex sells at the box office.”
The ‘Ishq Vishq’ and ‘Main Hoon Na’ actress Amrita Rao feels that it is an actor’s ability to attract the audience through her performance, and not merely skin show and glamour, that ensure a long run in the industry. ’’Glamour (and skin show) may get one an entry in to the industry and a few roles initially but an actor’s longevity in the industry depends essentially on her ability to draw audiences. Only if you can act well and attract audiences with your portrayals do you stand a chance to make it big in Bollywood,’’ Amrita says.
Talking on the eve of her next releases, Mahesh Manjrekar’s ‘Life Ho To Aisi’ and John Mathew Mathon’s ‘Shikhar’, Amrita refuted the view that a majority of roles today were coming the way of actresses who had no qualms in indulging in ‘skin show’. ‘’There are enough opportunities in the industry for serious actors as well. In fact, presently there is a huge demand for actors who can perform well (rather than just show off their glamour). Filmmakers are in dire need of good actors.’’
Amrita should know. For following the success of her last film Farah Khan’s ‘Main Hoon Na’, where she featured alongside Shahrukh Khan, Sushmita Sen and Zayed Khan, the actress received countless offers for performance-oriented roles where she was “more than just an eye candy.” No wonder then, the post-‘Main Hoon Na’ period has seen Amrita establish herself as an actress to reckon with in Bollywood, bagging roles in big banner films like Mahesh Manjrekar’s ‘Life Ho To Aisi’, John Mathew Mathen’s ‘Shikhar’, Indra Kumar’s ‘Pyare Mohan’ and, most recently, Sooraj Barjatya forthcoming directorial venture ‘Vivah’.
The films have her rubbing shoulders with accomplished actors like Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi and Sanjay Dutt. While in ‘Life Ho To Aisi’, she plays the lead along with her ‘Ishq Vishq’ co-star Shahid Kapoor, Amrita also rubs shoulders with Sanjay Dutt, in ‘Shikhar’ she gets an opportunity to work with intense actor Ajay Devgan.
For someone with no film connections whatsoever, getting roles in such prestigious banners, in the wake of the success of ‘Masti’ and ‘Main Hoon Na’, is a commendable achievement for Amrita and proves the strength of her conviction that “performance, and not sex, sells at the box office.” ‘’I have been fortunate to get roles opposite actors like Shah Rukh Khan (in ‘Main Hoon Na’), Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi in the beginning of my career,’’ she said. Currently though, Amrita is eagerly awaiting the release of ‘Life Ho To Aisi’ on December 23, and ‘Shikhar’ on December 16.